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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408342">Forfeit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerskirt/pseuds/Rangerskirt'>Rangerskirt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Bad Canon why do you do this to us, Comfort fic, Crying, Fighting, For episode 7x12 With Friends Like These, Gen, Hopeful/Happy Ending, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentioned canonical characters death, Qrow Whump, Spoilers, Therapy for the new episode, can be seen as platonic or romantic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:13:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,042</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rangerskirt/pseuds/Rangerskirt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>How I hope Qrow and James' next encounter happens.<br/>----<br/>Qrow confronts James after the events that transpired during the fight with Tyrian in the tundra.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen &amp; Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen &amp; James Ironwood, Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Forfeit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So I'm hurting from the new episode and I'm sure a lot of you are too. I really just needed to write this out as therapy for myself, hopefully it can make some of you other rwby fandom people feel a little more at ease as well.<br/>I just really hope that when Qrow does eventually confront James it ends with hugs. Begin the season with a hug, end the season with a hug.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Qrow knew that comfort never suited him, he'd been comfortable with team STRQ but that dream had shattered with every member either dying, leaving or holding some resentment towards him, Qrow had been comfortable teaching at Signal but been torn away needing to work for Ozpin. Speaking of which he'd been comfortable doing jobs for the man and helping until he found out the old bastard had been lying to even him all these years and stringing him along.</p>
<p>Only two months in Atlas sleeping in comfortable beds and feeling safe and shit had hit the fan. The last breaking point was the death of his friend.</p>
<p>Watching Tyrian use Harbinger to gore through Clover and prance off into the cold broke Qrow. His hands and sword covered with blood as Clover's body went still and cold, an Atlas ship coming to apprehend him and now find him guilty of murder as well.</p>
<p>He let the officers cuff him and drag him along to the Atlas prison but before being put into a cell he'd expertly knocked them out and recovered his weapon. "This needs to stop..." he muttered to himself, tears still burning in his eyes that he couldn't force back completely.</p>
<p>Clover was a kind person, he'd been Qrow's friend and someone that held up his confidence...and it was his own fault the man was dead. If Clover would have just focused on taking down Tyrian before they duked it out none of this would happen, he just had to be stubborn and keep attacking Qrow instead!</p>
<p>He was angry, betrayed and angry knowing deep down it wasn't all his fault but his heart told him otherwise. He wouldn't let there be any more deaths like that one, if Weiss, Blake, or heaven forbid Yang or Ruby died Qrow would shatter beyond repair.</p>
<p>Qrow made his way in a haze to James' office to find it and some of the preceding rooms slightly destroyed like a few big fights had broken out here. "James," he called seeing the man's back to him trying to salvage some things from his broken desk.</p>
<p>"Qrow?" blue eyes went wide watching him, a hand instinctively touching one of his guns. "You broke out...I was going to come to see you. I heard about what happened with Clover." there was a sadness to his eyes at that but he steeled himself as always.</p>
<p>"So you know...that I killed him..." Qrow couldn't make his eyes meet James as he stepped in closer and drew his sword.</p>
<p>"That's what I heard...did you really do it?" there was doubt in James' voice but his eyes were accusatory as he drew his gun. "Did you kill him so that you could come to do the same to me and stop my plans?"</p>
<p>James had been ruled by fear the last year of his life, Qrow knew that the moment he'd arrived in Atlas and seen his tired image playing over a screen in the streets. Whereas Professor Lionheart had reacted to his fear by cowering, fleeing, and then dying, James had stood to fight but was making all of the wrong decisions because of how terrified he was. </p>
<p>"I will if I have to, stop this James. Please just stop this." his hand tightened on Harbinger already knowing his friend's answer.</p>
<p>"You know I can't do that Qrow."</p>
<p>They fought, neither holding back and each working out their underlying emotions in their movements. James using his fear as drive, and Qrow his mourning. Each picked themselves up after hard blows, determined to be the victor but Qrow's lack of care for his well being and James having one arm in a sling worked to his advantage.</p>
<p>HIs guns disarmed to the other side of the room Qrow had James pinned to the wall with his sword to the man's throat and glaring holes into his old friend.</p>
<p>"Do it if you have to, I won't blame you." James' own intentions had never been to kill, Qrow had seen that in the way his aiming went straight for his aura or knock out shots, nothing deeply lethal.</p>
<p>Qrow's hand on his sword began to shake and his expression wavered from anger into one of grief, his eyes filling with shining tears. "It's my fault Tyrian killed Clover, his blood is all over my hands."</p>
<p>James didn't look surprised at the confession, he thought highly of his friend and knew he wasn't a murderer.</p>
<p>"I can't." his voice broke as the tears began to spill down Qrow's face, he dropped his sword to the ground and began to wipe away at his endless tears. "I can't lose you too, I can't do <em>this</em> anymore!" he cried.</p>
<p>"Qrow?" James' voice came again but softer this time, a gloved hand touched at Qrow's shoulder, "Things will be alright, we'll survive this."</p>
<p>"No you don't understand!" Qrow shouted, "I can't take any more losses! Summer, Beacon, Raven, Oz, Clover! And now I have to lose either the entire city of Mantle, or you!" the man sobbed.</p>
<p>James' arm wrapped around Qrow's shoulder and touched the back of his head guiding Qrow to rest his forehead against' James' chest. "Shh hey it's going to be alright." his voice and hug the only things keeping Qrow from falling apart completely at that moment.</p>
<p>"Please James...please, I can't anymore..." wrapping his arms tight around James' middle Qrow slowly sunk to the ground, the other man going down with him and cradling Qrow to him still tightly.</p>
<p>"Okay, okay I understand. We'll figure something out or I'll die trying."</p>
<p>Sniffling Qrow pulled away just enough to look up at James and croak out, "You would do that...for me?"</p>
<p>There were many factors in the change of James' mind, getting his ass kicked had reset his brain and heart literally knocking some sense into him. But seeing Qrow crying and so desperately breaking in front of him was what tied it all together and gave James the final push.</p>
<p>He knew Qrow had lost so much already and had always admired how strong he was to continue on each time the world dealt him another blow.</p>
<p>"I will not allow you to break."</p>
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